Game changer: how will we play videogames in the future?

With a new batch of consoles, a host of mobile games and the rise of indie developers, it’s an exciting time to be a gamer. What does the future hold? The O2 Gurus find out.

Using your head

Like the hoverboard, mind-controlled gaming sounds like something that we have to grudgingly accept will never actually exist. But that’s not the case: there are already some basic mind-controlled games out there. For some you have to wear external sensors, others work with wearable gadgets like Google Glass. They’re not amazingly exciting games at the moment, but imagine a more advanced version that lets you drive a car with your thoughts, or control a character – no more complicated button combos, no more waving your arms about like a loon, just a serious mental workout.

Boredom-busting biometrics

It’s not just your mind that could soon send signals to your games console – researchers at Stanford recently came up with a biometric controller that uses sensors to measure your heart rate, blood flow and breath. It uses this information to work out if you’re getting bored and increases the difficulty of the game to keep you interested.

More immersive than Oculus Rift

We’re really excited about the Oculus Rift and its potential for virtual reality gaming, but wouldn’t it be cool if you didn’t have to wear that bulky headset? Microsoft recently showed off its idea for IllumiRoom, a concept that projects gameplay beyond the confines of your TV screen and out into your living room. You’d be sitting within the game itself, at which point you’d be quite within your rights to shout out “Itsa me! Mario!” or, you know, something from an Xbox game.

Getting all touchy-feely

We’ve already talked about how mobile phones could one day replace the console – but what’s going to make them worth playing on? Aside from souped up graphics and lightning-fast processing power, touchscreens could soon come with a higher level of haptic feedback. What this basically means is that you could feel shapes and different textures on the screen as you play – which has the potential to be both amazing but also kind of gross.

What are your predictions for the future of gaming? Let us know in the comments below or on our Twitter @O2.